Love Is In the Air
by Spazzumtard
Summary: Isabella's Valentine's days with Phineas haven't been all that great. But when he forgets one, she takes a hard look at their relationship. four years later, Phineas is getting married and Isabella has returned to Danville for his wedding. Watching her ex and one of her best friends prepare to tie the knot, another man catches her eye.


**LOVE IS IN THE AIR**

**Happy Valentine's Day, fellow Ferbella Nerds! **

**Wow, this was long...I hope you all like it. This is mainly a Ferbella story, so not a whole lot of Phineas except in the beginning considering it does start out Phinabella. No Phineas-bashing in this story! Yay! I love Phineas, but he tends to come out as a jerk in a lot of my stories. But not this one!**

**This is (probably) my longest oneshot ever, but it's worth reading. I promise.**

**[I chose the image because the first half has the title as the quote and the second half is just so funny I wanted to share. It doesn't have anything to do with the story itself.]**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas and Ferb.<strong>

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><p><strong>[Thursday, Ferbruary 14 – Mid Afternoon]<strong>

Isabella kept telling herself that she was too old for this, but she couldn't help it. She felt so giddy. It was Valentine's Day and she—as the romantic and feminine young woman that she was—decided to skip home. She didn't live too far from the college anyway. And everything around her was red and pink, decorated with hearts and roses all over the place. To her, it was beautiful.

She felt hope rising in her chest. Maybe Phineas, her boyfriend of nearly 4 years (and crush for much longer), wouldn't be working on some project or another tonight and would go all out to be romantic for her. She couldn't help thinking back to past Valentine's Days and felt a pain in her chest. He was always so…distracted and busy—which she loved about him, of course. It was a part of him that had _made_ her fall in love with him all those years ago, but was it so difficult for him to realize she wanted some undivided attention sometimes?

She pushed those thoughts away, focusing instead on what this Valentine's Day would be like. Maybe he'd have flowers and chocolates, or he would make her a romantic dinner. Or maybe…he might propose? If he did that, she might die of happiness. Marrying Phineas Flynn had been her dream since she was eight.

With a giddy smile on her face, she opened the door to her house. Phineas was there in the living room, surrounded by tons of paper with a grin on his face. She told herself not to read into that grin because he was _always_ smiling (could she even think of a time that he wasn't?), but couldn't help it. She hung her keys and her purse next to the door while greeting him. "Hi Phineas, whatcha' doin'?"

Phineas looked up as if startled. "Oh, Hi Isabella. Sorry to take over the living room, but I'm working on a new hovering motorcycle design for Mr. Korner. He wants to get started on producing them." He scooted over on the couch and patted the cushion next to him. Isabella sat down, genuinely curious about a hovering cycle.

Phineas pointed at the random sketches on the different pages. "This here the engine of the motorcycles that we have today. What I'm trying to figure out is how to increase the air intake but force it to blow against the ground so it's a cleaner way to make things hover."

Isabella smiled. He was so excited. "That's awesome," she said, kissing his cheek before bending over to untie her shoes. Phineas was already back to scribbling and doodling stuff on the many pages laying around. She sat there next to him, just watching him for a few minutes until her stomach growled. She hadn't had time for lunch and she was _starving!_ "I'm going to make me a sandwich," she told him, standing up. "Let me know if you need my help with anything, okay?"

"Sure thing," was his cheerful response.

Isabella walked into her kitchen feeling a little heavier than she did when she was walking home. Did Phineas really not realize that it was Valentine's Day? There weren't even any flowers for her, like he had done every Valentine's Day in the last few years they had been dating. Had he forgotten or was he trying to throw her off? As much as she wanted to believe that he was plotting something, she told herself it was more likely he had forgotten. However, she couldn't stop her hopes rising.

She decided to snoop around a little. She checked the cupboards and the fridge, using making her sandwich as a cover in case she did find something romantic. Finding nothing, she decided to look in the bedroom. Phineas didn't even look up as she walked down the hall (apparently she _didn't_ have to "accidently" drop mustard on her shirt as an excuse). There was nothing there either though.

_He did forget_, she told herself, but her brain still wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. He could still do something—the day wasn't over yet. And she knew that if he didn't do anything, even if she told herself over and over that he wouldn't, she would still feel sad and angry and…unwanted.

"Why?" she asked herself. Why wasn't this working? This relationship with Phineas was something she had wanted since she was a little girl. And she had it all planned out too—they would go on dates through Junior High, they would become steady in High School, date for two years after school, get married, finish college, then start a family. None of that had happened according to plan. They had started dating after Junior Prom but didn't become 'boyfriend/girlfriend' until half way through Senior year.

Three and a half years later, nothing had progressed. Why couldn't life be like her plan? And even if it was…would things be any different? Phineas would probably still be easily distracted and not giving her the attention (she felt) she deserved. It was like she would always come second to his ideas. Isabella was too selfish to share him—even if it was just with _fun_ itself.

Isabella blinked back the tears (_When did I start crying?_ she thought). What was she going to do now?

"Hey Izzy," Phineas called from the living room. "I'm going to head out to see Ferb. I'm sure he'd have some great ideas to put into this hovering motorcycle." Isabella lowered her head for a moment—he had forgotten—then wiped her eyes and walked back to the living room.

"Alright," she replied. "But, before you go…" Phineas paused half way through putting on his shoes and looked at her. "I think we need to talk."

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><p><strong>[Four Years Later: Tuesday, February 14 – Late MorningEarly Afternoon]**

Isabella opened her mailbox and sifted through the letters inside. There was one from Phineas and she grinned, shaking her head. It had been four years since they broke up—an equal amount of time to how long they had been together—but he still sent her a card every year on Valentine's Day to apologize for his forgetfulness. She had told him many times that it was alright and that she still loved him, but no longer romantically.

That was actually something she said when she had broken up with him. She could still remember the look on his face when she said it was Valentine's Day. It was a mix of surprise, astonishment, and 'oh crap!'. She told him that she couldn't share him anymore (then she had to explain what she meant).

_"I don't want to feel like I come in second to your projects," she had said. _

_"That's not true!" he protested. _

_"I know that, really I do. But sometimes I can't convince myself of it." She looked out the window. "Phineas, I still love you. Just not in __**that way**__ anymore, I guess. And I think you are perfect just the way you are. But I want…I guess I want someone's undivided attention and I can't rationalize asking that of you."_

And that was that. Looking back on it, Isabella knew she had done the right thing. They just weren't compatible. In a way they didn't really deserve each other. Phineas deserved someone who he could bounce ideas off of, who would support him in his projects, and who had enough self confidence that they didn't need _all_ of his attention, leaving him free to spoil her at his own pace (and he would spoil whomever he ended up with, it was his way. He simply got side-tracked easily).

Isabella, on the other hand, needed someone who could endure her sense of adventure and challenge her intellect while still giving her the attention she wanted. She wanted spontaneity, romance, and passion. She wanted a guy who was a gentleman but could still get her heart racing. Sadly, those guys were hard to come by.

After her breakup with Phineas, she felt awkward around nearly everyone in Danville. The looks she got from them after word went around that she had broken up with 'the love of her life' bothered her. '_She had chased Phineas for over a decade then she just…threw him away?_' She couldn't take it anymore and decided to transfer to a different college.

It had taken longer to get her degree than if she had stayed in the Tri-State area because some of her credits either didn't transfer or they weren't applied to her chosen major. But she finally got her bachelor's degree in journalism. Isabella felt relieved for having finished and excitement because she was going back home.

Would you believe that she was going home not only for the offered job at the Daily Danville, but also for Phineas' wedding?

Two years after transferring, Isabella felt unsure about Phineas. Was she over him? Did she want him back? She didn't know. And she didn't know how to go about finding out. She tried dating, but it didn't help because the guys were either too boring or too offensive. It wasn't until she got an email from Holly, asking if it would be alright with the former troop leader if she and Phineas went out, that Isabella figured it out.

She didn't care. She actually didn't care. It was amazing! Reading the email, she was actually excited for her former Fireside Girl. And, two years later, they were still going strong and were getting married!

Holly was good for Phineas. They were similar in some ways, but in the ways they weren't they simply completed each other. Holly was down to earth and Phineas was flighty. He was able to drag her out of her comfort zone while she could keep him focused on the things that matter. Holly was also more of a giver than a taker with affection (not that Phineas was selfish), so she didn't care when Phineas was doing something else. And she always told him what she wanted. During a phone call from Katie, Isabella learned that on their first anniversary, Holly told him straight out that he was supposed to make her a romantic dinner, get her flowers, and have a romantic gift ready for her. Then she let him go off on his own to plan it. She really was the kind of girl Phineas needed and deserved. They were perfect together.

Her flight was leaving in a few hours and she still had to get her boxes to their respective destinations. She was only taking the necessities with her, knowing that she could buy whatever else she needed with her new job, so most of it was going to the thrift store. Whatever she was taking with her she would ship through the post office. It was cheaper than bringing it on the plane or driving across country to the Tri-State Area.

Lugging her boxes out to the car, she organized them according to destination—once a Fireside Girl, always a Fireside Girl, and one of their biggest ideals was efficiency. Going back for her suitcase, she left her keys and the utility bills on the counter (she had paid ahead for the duration of her stay) for the landlord and did one last check over before she locked the doorknob and closed the door. She was ready to go.

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><p><strong>[Tuesday, February 14 – Late Evening]<strong>

"Isabella!" The shout startled her and she nearly dropped the handle of her suitcase. She had just walked out the door from the baggage claim and found a crowd of people. All of her friends were there with her parents welcoming her home. The former Fireside Girls, the group that she had grown up with—including Buford who last she'd heard was at the Marine base in North Carolina. He must have come home for Phineas' wedding as well—and the rest of her friends from High School and her little time at College here.

"Hi guys!" she exclaimed, hugging as many people as she could. "What are you all doing here?"

"We're here to welcome you back home," Ginger said after her hug before backing up next to her husband and resting a hand on her swollen belly. Her and Baljeet had married soon after High School, but both agreed they would wait until they were done with college and Baljeet was settled into his career. Finally they felt like they were ready and Ginger was about to fulfill a life-long dream of being a stay-at-home mom.

Isabella was beaming. She felt like the weight of the world was lifted off of her shoulders—her friends weren't judging her or tiptoeing around her because of Phineas and Holly. Speaking of which, she caught sight of the former Fireside Girl. "Holly! I still haven't seen the ring." The dark skinned young woman grinned and skipped forward, holding out her hand. Isabella grasped it to get a better look. "Oh, it's beautiful!" she said, bringing her into a one-armed hug and reaching out with her free hand to grab Phineas to join them, making it a three-way embrace. Pulling back, she said, "You guys are going to be great together."

Both of them visibly relaxed, probably feeling like she had. "Thanks," they said together, causing a lot of the group to laugh. Isabella figured it was probably common with them to talk in unison.

"Holly, I want all the details," Isabella requested with a wink. "Want to come along with me? You can tell me on the way."

"Duh!" Holly exclaimed.

Isabella reached down to grab her suitcase, but her hand brushed against another's. Instantly goosebumps ran up her arms and down her legs. It startled her for a moment, and she turned to see who it was.

It was just Ferb. He had grabbed her suitcase and shot her a grin when she looked at him. He put it in the open trunk of her parent's car, his muscles straining against his tee-shirt. And his hair was shorter than she remembered, giving him a more mature look, though his eyes still held the same excitement they did when they were kids. He even had a little patch of hair on his chin that wasn't too long—maybe just long enough to grab.

Isabella blinked—what?! What was she thinking? It was just Ferb, right?

Pushing those thought away for now, she thanked him for grabbing her suit case and climbed into the back seat of the car. Before she could close the door herself, Ferb was there again, closing the door as if he had opened it for her like they were on a date.

So much for pushing those thoughts away… Maybe talking to Holly about her relationship with Phineas and the upcoming wedding would help rid her of them.

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><p><strong>[Thursday, February 16 – Mid MorningEarly Afternoon]**

Isabella gasped. "It's…a little tight." She looked over at Holly. "You know, you could have told me earlier that you wanted me to be a bridesmaid. I could have exercised a bit more."

Holly waved a hand. "You're already thin. It's just the chest that needs to be let out." She turned to the tailor. "Can you do that in time?"

The professional scoffed. "I could have the dress fitting perfectly today, let alone in a week. It only needs to be let out a couple of centimeters or so, and you made sure the seams on _this_ dress were wide enough to allow that for her," he told the bride. To Isabella he said, "You go ahead and get out of that dress, then you can come back in two days to try it again and see how it fits."

Isabella did so, then the girls left to go get lunch before heading back to Holly's sister's place where the 'wedding headquarters' had been set up. It was the final week before the wedding and things were getting hectic making sure everything was ready. Carol was also planning the Bachlorette party that night. Holly told her sister she didn't want anything too drastic and no public drinking, so it was mostly going to be an at-home party with all girls.

After they had ordered their lunch, Isabella gave Holly a sheepish smile. "So, you know my first day was yesterday, right?"

Holly set her water down. "Oh yeah. How did it go?"

"Good, really good. But, the first thing they want me to do is write an article about your wedding…" she trailed off, unsure how that would be received.

Apparently pretty well. Holly smiled brightly. "Really? That's awesome! When do you want to start?"

Isabella smiled too. "We can start now, if you want." The bride nodded, so she pulled out one of her notebooks and a pen. "So, you were together a year and a half before he proposed. Tell me again about the proposal."

Holly chuckled. "Well, I don't know much about the technical terms or how he made those things do what he wanted—"

Isabella interrupted. "This is going in the nuptials section of the Sunday paper. We don't need to know the ins and outs of the things Phineas makes. Besides, he'll tell everyone all about it anyway." They both laughed at how true that was.

They had a very nice lunch with Holly telling her the events and moments in their engagement that she wanted to share with Danville and with Isabella getting the feel for how the bride wanted the article to be written. What was supposed to be a short lunch turned into a long one. Neither realized what time it was until Holly got a call from her sister.

"Hey Carol, what's up?"

Isabella could faintly hear; "_Where are you? You should have been here 20 minutes ago._"

Holly took the phone from her hear for a second to check the time. Her eyes widened. "Oh! I'm sorry. We got caught up with something. We're on our way now."

_"Hurry please. I nearly have everything set up but you should be here before the rest of the girls arrive._"

"Sure thing. Be there soon." Holly ended the call and gave Isabella an exaggerated frightened face. Then she shook her head. "She's so frantic about everything, trying to make sure it is all perfect. We gotta get going or she will flip out."

Isabella nodded in understanding and grabbed the receipt from their lunch. Carol's house was only a short walk from town, so it didn't take them long to get there. Ten minutes after they arrived (and Caro had Holly change into a shirt she got specifically for the party because it said 'Bride', as if everyone who was coming _wouldn't_ know she was the bride) the rest of the Bridesmaids showed up.

"Okay girls!" Carol announced. "We have a mad lip list going around, so when it's your turn write your word. But, while we're doing that, we have another game to play. Bach-O-Jeopardy!" She threw her arms out and paused, as if expecting applause. No one made a sound—you could almost hear the crickets. "Alright then…" She moved aside to show a poster board with lots of numbers slots and phrases on the top.

"Everyone here knows Phineas pretty well, but some of these questions are about our bride here. You pick a section, such as '**By the Numbers**', then a number." She pulled down the 100 page. "'_When is Phineas' birthday?_' You get it right, you get to choose again. You get it wrong, you take a drink according to the chart. The 100s are easy, but they get harder as you go. Holly…" She smiled at her sister, who shifted uncomfortably. "As the bride, you get to go first."

"Um…The Early Years for…200."

"_What age did Phineas get the chicken pox?_"

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><p><strong>[Friday, February 17 - Morning]<strong>

Isabella groaned, holding her head. It must have been a great night, though the memory was a little blurry, but it didn't make up for the massive hangover. She was sitting at a table at Steam Noir sipping the strongest coffee they had. She barely noticed it when someone came up to the table until they spoke.

"This seat taken?"

She looked up with narrow eyes to see who he was. "Oh, hi Ferb. Go ahead," she said, waving a hand towards the empty seat across from her.

He sat down and gave her a hard look over his steaming tea. She must have looked a mess, because he grinned. "Must have been a good night," he commented.

"Shut up," she muttered.

Ferb was quiet for a moment, and she didn't talk either. Then he whispered that he'd be back and stood up. Isabella didn't lift her head to see where he went, but when he came back he placed a tall glass of water that had a couple of leaves in it right in front of her. She squinted at him when he sat down again. "Try it. It'll help."

Isabella made a face but did as he directed and took a sip. She nearly spat it back out again. "What is that?" she asked, a disgusted look on her face.

Ferb's shoulders shook as if trying to repress a laugh and she glared at him. "It's water with some mint leaves in it," he said. "It tastes awful, but it will help. Most hangovers happen because you are dehydrated. The water will take care of that, and the mint will help bring your mind back as well as help cool your stomach."

Isabella looked between him and the water glass. She was unsure about it, but Ferb was usually right about things like this… She picked up the cup again and took another sip, this time prepared for the taste. It was still horrible, but she could feel the mint clearing her mind and soothing her stomach and the wetness felt wonderful. She decided that the feelings were better than the bitter taste and kept sipping.

"Thank you," she said to Ferb. He just smiled back and took another sip of his tea. _Ferb is so sweet_, she thought. She remembered something about the night before. Someone—was it her?—had talked about Ferb. She furrowed her eyebrows, trying to figure it out. Then suddenly it hit her.

_"Gretchen!" at least three girls screamed at the same time while the girl in question giggled and covered her tomato-red face. Holly elbowed Katie in the side and the petite blonde took a shot. They had progressed from the jeopardy game to a truth game, where if the person being asked didn't answer truthfully they had to take a shot. But if they did answer honestly, the person who asked took the shot. _

_Ginger, being pregnant and not drinking, still felt the excitement of the room. "I can't believe you, Gretchen. Buford? Really?"_

_Milly nodded in agreement, but her speech was slurred. "I know, so unexpected." She blinked slowly, looking around the room. "What about you, Isabella? Of the guys we grew up with, who would you sleep with?"_

_The reply was instant. "Ferb." Silence filled in the room. Even Isabella herself looked surprised at her answer. She started laughing, choking out; "I think I've had too much."_

Her eyes widened. Where had that come from? She wanted to blame the alcohol but knew that it made people more honest.

"Are you alright, Isabella?" the British accent broke through her thoughts.

She looked up startled. "What? Yes, fine… I just have to…get to work." She drained the mint water, wincing at the bitter taste. "Thanks for this, by the way," she said standing up and grabbing her purse.

Ferb had one of his eyebrows raised and Isabella felt heat in her stomach—not from the hangover or the water. "You're welcome," he said slowly, a little unsure. She could feel his eyes on her as she left, but she refused to look back.

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><p><strong>[Friday, February 24 – Mid Afternoon]<strong>

Holly looked beautiful in her wedding dress. Phineas hadn't taken his eyes off of her since he saw her walking down the aisle. Isabella was sitting between Jeremy and Ferb on Phineas' side of the head table. Typically they would be in each other's seats, but Candace (who was sitting next to Phineas) wanted to sit next to her husband, so the two had switched.

Gretchen was on the other side of Ferb. They were deep in a conversation, which didn't feel right to Isabella and she couldn't figure out why. But Phineas and Holly were dancing their first dance, so Isabella distracted herself by watching them. They were so perfect together. She grinned thinking about how their children might look. Maybe they'll have her dark skin and his red hair—that would be cool.

The floor opened up to other couples after the bride and groom's song had finished. She half expected for both couples on either side of her to go dance, which Candace and Jeremy did, but instead of Ferb and Gretchen going, Buford came over and asked her for a dance. Gretchen looked surprised. "Are you sure?" she asked. Isabella thought that there might be an underling question to that.

Buford smiled that toothy grin he's always had. "Yeah, I think it's time people knew."

Gretchen's face brightened and she grabbed his hand. As they walked away, Isabella leaned over to Ferb. "Any idea what that was about?"

"They have been dating for the last few months."

"What?" she asked in total shock, gaping at him. "How do you know?"

Ferb shrugged. "Buford told me a couple weeks ago. He wanted my advice on how tell everyone, or if he should."

Isabella watched them and noticed a few others giving the couple questioning looks. "Did anyone else know about them?"

The British man stood up and stretched next to his chair. "Not that I know of." Then he held out a hand to her. "Would you like to dance?"

Isabella looked at him in surprise, but smiled and accepted his hand. "I'd love to."

They didn't really talk during the dance, but Ferb more than made up for it with different moves. They did spins and dips and he even lifted her into the air at one point. Not high, more like her feet had barely left the ground. It was wonderful to dance with him, and being able to feel the muscles tensing and rolling under her hands did more to make her short of breath than the dancing itself did. When they were done, he even led her back to her seat and kissed her hand before going off to dance with one of the other bridesmaids, though Isabella noticed that he danced differently with the other girl than he did with her—more conservatively.

_He's such a gentleman_, she thought. But there was something about him… Just watching him dancing (with Holly now—he was Best Man and Phineas was dancing with the Maid of Honor) made her instinctively clench her thighs together. What was going on with her lately? She wanted to think it was because of what she'd said during the Bachelorette party, but knew it wasn't. She thought back to when she had first arrived home. _That_ was when it had started—that slight touch of hands. Before that, he had just been Ferb, the boy that always seemed to fade into the background and never talked.

Now he was _Ferb_. A boy—no a _man_ who she wanted…desperately. And not just for a night, but for much more... _But if he offered I wouldn't mind just one night, _her inner voice broke in and she felt her face heating up. She didn't deny it though. Just a small touch from him gets her heart racing, she wondered how different (better) it would be to do more.

She looked around her and realized she was the only one still sitting at the head table, so she stood up. They had a snack table full of finger foods nearby, so that's where she headed. She found some wedding mints, which had always fascinated her. She never thought to look for them at the store but absolutely loved them when they were around, especially the way they melted in her mouth.

She grabbed a handful and started wandering the room, talking with people she knew and introducing herself to people she didn't. She even danced a few times with other guys, including Phineas at one point, but she always wished she was in Ferb's arms. However, when she wasn't dancing, she found herself avoiding him. She was stopped by Candace, asking her how she was doing and talking about her kids. Isabella was kind of stuck there listening to her, but was surprised when the older girl smiled at someone behind her.

A hand fell on her shoulder and she turned to see the one person she wasn't sure she wanted to see or not. "Thanks Candace," Ferb said before leading Isabella back to the dance floor. She saw Candace nod at him then go back to talking with her mom.

"Wait, was that a trick?" Isabella asked him as he pulled her into his arms.

Ferb shrugged. "You were avoiding me," he said bluntly.

"I-I was not…" she murmured in denial, but it was true and they both knew it.

They danced for a while and Ferb spun her a few times, but about half way through the song he pulled her close. "So, why were you avoiding me?" he whispered into her ear and she shivered. He was probably grinning after that, but she refused to look up at him because of that…

And because, if she looked into his eyes, she wouldn't be able to keep herself from telling him what he was doing to her. So she said nothing. Ferb seemed to take that as an answer in itself and spun her again, but this time his hand grazed her arm and it seemed that her goosebumps grew goosebumps. The spent the rest of the dance in silence, but Ferb seemed to be going out of his way to make her want him more.

Which he was, just not near as much as Isabella wanted to believe.

The night ended pretty much the same as it had been between her dances with Ferb, with her avoiding him (and denying it). She danced with the rest of the groomsmen, including James (Holly's brother) and Buford, whom she threatened within an inch of his life if he hurt Gretchen. He took it rather well though and told her he wasn't planning on hurting her and truly hoped he wouldn't.

The night ended with the big sendoff of the Bride and Groom. Rice was thrown, the car looked awesome (Ferb must have had a hand in decorating it), and cat calls and wolf whistles were sounded. Isabella relaxed in her designated chair, which was surprisingly comfortable, as guests began leaving and the crew started clearing the room.

"You look relaxed," Ferb said. She had her eyes closed, but who else was it going to be? She felt him shuffled next to her and opened her eyes to look at him. He was leaning against the table that hadn't been taken down yet, looking absolutely delectable. The guests were all gone, except for the few that lingered to help.

She looked up at him. "I am actually. The chair is comfortable, but my feet still hurt." She looked down at her pale green stilettos that matched the bridesmaid dress she wore. "I didn't have time to break these shoes in, considering it was sprung on me being a bridesmaid."

Ferb chuckled and nodded. Isabella stretched back in her chair, her arms over her head. She didn't see the appreciative look Ferb gave her. She glanced around the room, looking for her parents—she hadn't gotten her own apartment yet and was still staying with them. "They're gone," Ferb said.

"What?"

Ferb reached out and grabbed a bowl from one of the passing crewmen. It was the bowl of wedding mints. When he popped one into his mouth, she reached out and grabbed a few from the bowl for herself. "Your parents," he explained. "They've already gone home."

Isabella felt a little insulted—her parents had _left_ her? "Why?"

"I told them I'd take you home."

She froze. Did he mean home _with him?_ "What?" she asked quietly.

Ferb had a small smirk on his face, as if knowing where her thoughts went. "Your house." Yep, he knew.

"Oh…" She actually felt a little disappointed.

"Although," he said, looking over her head at nothing with a thoughtful look on his face. "I do have some nice Kenyan coffee at my flat if you feel like a cup."

She couldn't stop the smile. "Yeah," Isabella said. "That sounds good."

They went out to his truck—Ferb actually drove a truck!—where Isabella kicked out of her shoes. It felt good to get them off and she wasn't looking forward to having to put them back on when they got to Ferb's apartment. It was surprisingly closer than she thought, though she realized she hadn't ever been there before so had no idea where it was previously. When Ferb removed the keys, she looked down at her shoes with a pout.

"The walks are heated so you can go barefoot. Unless you want me to carry you," he teased.

She wanted to flirt back and tell him to carry her, but chickened out at the last minute. "I'll walk. Just lead the way." He nodded and got out the car, coming around as she opened her door to help her out. She held her shoes in one hand and followed him up a narrow set of stairs—which gave her a wonderful view of his firm bum. He unlocked his door and flipped on the light, letting her see inside. It was rather tidy for a guy's apartment, though girl's apartments weren't always clean either, and definitely had a 'Ferb' vibe to it.

"Very nice," she commented.

He gestured towards the couch. "You can get comfortable. I'll grab the coffee."

Isabella dropped her shoes on the floor at one end of the couch and sat against the arm, facing the kitchen. She could see him moving around and a couple of times she saw him look up at her and smile. When he came out with the coffee, he had taken his tux coat and tie off, leaving him in the button down shirt (with the top few undone) and slacks.

He handed her a cup and sat on the couch across from her. He took a sip from his while looking at her over the edge of the cup. "So," he said. "Are you ever going to tell me why you were avoiding me earlier?"

Her breath hitched in her throat and she took a long sip from her mug. Ferb chuckled, not pushing it, and noticed that her free hand was rubbing the arch on one of her feet. He took another gulp from his drink and set it on the sofa table behind them. Without saying anything, he reached over and pulled her legs out from under her.

Isabella's eyes widened and she felt that heat in her stomach again—or was it lower? He pressed a thumb into the arch of her foot and she moaned, her head falling against the back of the couch. "That feels wonderful," she murmured.

"I'll bet. You have been on your feet for a few hours in those shoes." Ferb looked at the stilettos. "I've never understood why women torture themselves wearing shoes like that."

"They make us feel pretty," she said. Then she smirked, an idea coming to mind. "And they make ur butts look good," she teased, hoping to make him stumble for once.

It didn't work, however. He just grinned at her with an eyebrow raised. "You don't need any help with that."

She felt her face flushing, but did look away from his eyes. Isabella could see conflict in them until he apparently reached a decision and the blue turned darker. His hands slowed on her feet (which felt like they had gone numb but were still sending electricity to her…ahem). "You're planning on staying here for a while, right?" Ferb asked in a gruff voice.

She didn't know if he meant here in the Tri-State Area or here in his apartment, but she realized that the answers were the same. "Yes, I am," she told him.

A slow grin formed on his face and he nodded. "Good," he stated, before shoving her legs off the side of the couch and pushing himself forward, catching the back of her neck in one hand while the other rested on the couch next to her thigh, holding his weight up. She didn't notice that, though. All she could think about were his lips on hers—the feelings, the grazes, the nibbling teeth, and that tongue… All of it was turning her brain to mush.

He pulled back slightly, just enough to look into her eyes. "Be mine?" Ferb asked quietly.

Isabella's face nearly broke in half, her smile was so wide. "Definitely!" she answered excitedly, then reached out and pulled his face back to hers. She could feel him smile into the kiss before it deepened and she lost herself again.

She ended up not going home until late the next day, and that was only for a change of clothes (or two or three).

* * *

><p><strong>I think I'm half in love with Ferb...<strong>

**Holly/Phineas - not your normal pairing, but I think they'd be cute. Same thing with Gretchen/Buford who, depending on how you portray them, could be great.**

**First part: I left it unclear if Phineas and Isabella were living together deliberately. You can choose your own personal preference for that. Also, I have no idea how someone would go about making a hovering motorcycle. What I wrote is inaccurate (I would honestly be surprised if there was some truth to it), so don't take it as fact. **

**Fifth part: Ferb's hangover cure might not work. It is not mine—I do not drink, so I wouldn't know. I did look up so-called hangover cures and water was the first with mint tea/chewing mint leaves not far behind. I just put them together. What Ferb told Isabella in relation to the 'cure' is something I found during my research, so it probably is true. **

**I had lots more notes to put here, but I can't remember any of them. If you have questions, review and I will answer! :)**

**Actually, just review anyway. I'll give heart-shaped twinkies to everyone who reviews! :)**


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